Frigates/Fast Boats
Overview This is a catch all category for the smallest conceivable surface vessels. Many are armed with mines, torpedoes or even small guns, but all are very small, often weighing in at under 1000 tons. Real world information Torpedo boats came to prominence in the late 19th century as a method for a small, inexpensive navy to defeat massive battleships. Given sufficient numbers, these agile and fast boats could theoretically destroy slow firing battleships by overrunning the enemy defence.They posed such a potential threat that destroyers (essentially larger torpedo boats) were developed as a countermeasure. Through the world wars these tiny ships still played roles, but increased fleet speed made them less practical. In modern warfare, the introduction of missiles has given them new prominence, but vulnerability to aircraft remains a problem. In game use In game, such tiny ships are often relegated to simplistic experiments and proofs of concept. Few frigates make much of a splash. This is due to the ability to make many ships practically immune to torpedoes or small guns and the ability to make destroyers of greater, or at least comparable speed. Despite this, fast boats are exceptional sub hunters, given practical immunity to the subs one main defense, underwater torpedoes, and the speed and agility required to effectively operate depth charges. Most navies will opt for destroyers given the greater versatility, but if one really needs to kill subs, this may be the best option. Sub Types Patrol/ Torpedo boats (PT) Perhaps the smallest ships of all, PT boats are short range, speedy vessels which are intended to take down larger ships by attacking en mass with torpedoes. In real life these ships posed a credible threat to battleships, and spurred the creation of destroyers. One very famous PT boat was PT-109, which was captained by John F. Kennedy. Frigate (FFG) The term "frigate" was readopted during the Second World War by the British Royal Navy to describe an anti-submarine escort vessel that was larger than a corvette, smaller than a destroyer, and about equal in size and capability to the American destroyer escort. Anti-submarine escorts had previously been classified as sloops by the Royal Navy, and the Black Swan-class sloops of 1939–1945 were as large as the new types of frigate, and more heavily armed. Twenty-two of these were reclassified as frigates after the war, as were the remaining 24 smaller Castle-class corvettes. The frigate was introduced to remedy some of the shortcomings inherent in the corvette design: limited armament, a hull form not suited to open-ocean work, a single shaft which limited speed and maneuverability, and a lack of range. Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Littoral Combat Ships are a relatively new class of combat ship. Built with lightweight materials and with a draft of only a few meters, these ships were designed to be capable of efficiently navigating the shallow waters of littoral areas. Able to go where most heavier ships can't, LCS are used in shallow coastal areas to hunt pirates. There are only two existing LCS as of current (USS Freedom, USS Independence)Category:Ship Type Category:Game Related